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第8章花园血案之谜(5)
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"Therearefivecolossaldifficulties,"saidthedoctorquietly,"likehighalls.Don'tmistakeme.Idon'tdoubtthatBray;hisflight,Ifa.Butastohowhedidit.Firstdifficulty:Whyshouldamankillahagreathulkingsabre,whenhealmostkillhimoifeandputitbahispoddifficulty:Whywasthereanohereupwavingasdofferhirddifficulty:Aservahefrontdooralltheevening;andaratotgetiin'sgardenanywhere.Howdidthedeadmahegarden?Fourthdifficulty:Giveions,hetoutofthegarden?"
"Ah."saidheyesfixedontheEnglishpriestwhowasingslowlyupthepath.
"Isatrifle,Isuppose,"saidthedoctor,"butIthinkanoddosawhowtheheadhadbeenslashed,IsupposedtheassassinhadstruckmorethaoionIfoundmanycutsacrossthetruion;inotherwords,theywerestruckaftertheheadwasoff.DidBrayehisfoesofiendishlythathesthisbodyinthemoonlight?"
"Horrible!"saidO'Brien,andshuddered.
&lepriest,Brown,hadarrivedwhiletheyweretalking,andhadwaited,withcharacteristiess,tilltheyhadfihenhesaida>
"Isay,I'msorrytoi.ButIwassehe;
";repeatedSimon,ahimratherpainfullythroughhisglasses.
"Yes,I'msorry,"saidFatherBrownmildly."There'sbeenanothermurder,youknow."
Bothmesprarog.
"And,whaterstill,"uedthepriest,withhisdulleyeontherhododendrons,"it'sthesamedisgustingsort;it'sanotherbeheadihesedheadactuallybleedingintotheriver,afewyardsalongBrayne'sroadtoParis;sotheysupposethathe-"
"GreatHeaven!"criedO'Brien."IsBrayneamonomaniac?"
"ThereareAmeridettas,"saidthepriestimpassively.Theheywantyoutoetothelibrarya;
andantO'Brieherstowardsthei,feelingdecidedlysick.Asasoldier,heloathedallthissecretiveage;whereweretheseextravagantamputationsgoingtostop?Firstoneheadwashackedoff,aher;inthisselfbitterly)itwaswoheadswerebetterthanone.AshecrossedthestudyhealmoststaggeredatashoValentin'stablelaythecolouredpictureofyetathirdbleediwastheheadofValentinhimself.AseitwasonlyaNationalistpaper,calledTheGuillotine,whicheveryweekshowedospolitientswithrollingeyesandwrithiafterexe;forValentinwasananti-eO'BrienwasanIrishman,withakindofchastityeveninhissins;andhisgainstthatgreatbrutalityoftheiwhigsonlytoFraParisasawhrotesquesohicchurchestothegrosscaritheneers.HerememberedthegigaheRevolutiohewholeeuglyenergy,fromthesanguigoin'stableuptowhere,aboveamountaioyles,thegreatdevilgrinsonNotreDame.
Thelibrarywaslong,low,anddark;whatlightefromunderlowblindsandhadstillsomee.ValentinaIvaiheupperendofalong,slightly-slopingdesk,onwhichlaythemortalremains,lookingenormousi.Thebigblackfigureandyellowfaanfoundinthegardenessentiallyuhesedhead,whichhadbeenfishedfromamongtheriverreedsthatm,laystreaminganddrippi;Valentin'smeillseekiherestofthissedcorpse,osedtobeafloat.FatherBrown,whodidoshareO'Brien'sseheleast,wentuptothesedheadahhisbliwaslittlemorethanamopofwetwhitehair,frihsilverfireintheredandlevelmht;theface,whichseemedofanugly,empurpledandperhapsaltype,hadbeenmuchbatteredagaioossedier.
"G,andantO'Brien."saidValentin,withquietcordiality."YouhaveheardofBrayne'slastexperimentinbutchery,Isuppose?"
FatherBrownwasstillbeheheadwithwhitehair,andhesaid,withoutlookingup:
"IsupposeitisquitethatBrayoffthishead,too."
"Well,itseemso;saidValentin,withhishandsinhispockets."Killediheother.Foundwithinafewyardsoftheother.Ahesameeknowhecarriedaway."
"Yes,yes;Iknow,"repliedFatherBrownsubmissively."Yet,youknow,IdoubtwhetherBraynecouldhavecutoffthishead."
"Whynot?"inquiredDrSimon,witharationalstare.
"Well,doctor,"saidthepriest,lookingupblinking,"cutoffhisownhead?Idon'tknow."
O'Brieaninsaneuniversegabouthisears;butthedforwardwithimpetuouspractidpushedbackthewet>
"Oh,there'snodoubtit'sBray;saidthepriestquietly."Hehadexactlythattheleftear."
&ive,whohadbeehepriestwithsteadyandglitteringeyes,openedhischedmouthandsaidsharply:"Youseemtoknowalotabouthim,FatherBrown."
"Ido,"saidthelittlemansimply."I'vebeenaboutwithhimforsomeweeks.Hewasthinkingofjoiningourchurch."
&arofthefanatigiirodetoriestwithds."And,perhaps,"hecried,withablasti;perhapshewasalsothinkingofleavingallhismooyourchurch."
"Perhapshewas,"saidBrownstolidly;"itispossible."
"Inthatcase,"criedValentin,withadreadfulsmile,"youmayindeedkdealabouthiAbouthislifeandabouthis..."
andantO'Brienlaidahain'sar"Dropthatslanderousrubbish,Valentin,"hesaid,"ortheremaybemoreswordsyet."
ButValeeady,humblegazeofthepriest)hadalreadyreself."Well,"hesaidshortly,"people'sprivateopinionswait.Yougeillboundbyyourpromisetostay;youmusteonyourselves-aher.Ivaellyouanythitoknow;Imustgettobusinessaheauthorities.We'tkeepthisquietanylonger.Ishallbewritinginmystudyifthereisa;
"Isthereanymorenews,Ivan?"askedDrSimon,asthechiefofpolicestrodeoutoftheroo
"Ohing,Ithink,sir,"saidIvan,wrinklinguphisgreyoldface,"butthat'simportant,too,initsway.There'sthatoldbufferyoufoundonthelaoipretenceofreverehebigblackbodywiththeyellowhead."We'vefoundoutwhoheis,anyhow."
"I;criedtheastoor,"andwhoishe?"
"HisnamewasAr;saidtheuive,"thoughhewentbymanyaliases.HewasawaofsdisknowntohavebeehatwaswhereBrayhiskohiWedidn'thavemuourselves,forheworkedmostlyinGermany.We'veunicated,ofcourse,withtheGerma,oddlyenough,therewasatwinbrotherofhis,namedLouisBewehadagreatdealtodowith.Ioguillotinehimoerday.Well,it,gewhenIsawthatfellowflatonthelawnIhadthegreatestjumpofmylife.IfIhadn'tseenLouisBeckerguillotihmyowneyes,I'dhaveswornitwasLouisBegthereihen,ofcourse,Irememberedhistwinbrermany,andfollowinguptheclue..."
&oryIvaheextreasonthatnobodywaslisteningtohiTheandaorwerebatFatherBrorungstifflytohisfeet,andwasholdiightlikeamaninsuddenapain.
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